Restored Canberra property to host weddings

A lovingly restored historic property on the fringe of Canberra's northern suburbs and a rare vestige of its pastoral history represents a "step back in time", its owners say.

Elm Grove is a 2500 acre fine wool property established in 1864 and it remains one of the few working properties of its kind in the region.

Lee and Yukari Carmody have lived together in the heritage-listed homestead for the past 10 years.

The couple renewed their vows in the wedding gardens on Saturday in front of 70 guests – a celebration of their 10th wedding anniversary and the beginning of a new era for Elm Grove.

Mr Carmody said the wedding garden lawns spanned close to a hectare and the lofty 150-year-old elm trees and fully restored Bluestone water well were unique features.

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"It's a beautiful peaceful place and step back in time," he said. "While it's only seconds from neighbouring suburbs, the landscape resembles what it was 150 years ago."

Mrs Carmody made a bold entrance landing in a helicopter on the couple's special day.

"The property is so large there's also scope to host boutique-style weddings and fly couples to remote sites up in the hills," he said. "We can really offer newlyweds seeking that edge something a little different on their wedding day."

The Carmody family has invested more than $100,000 in maintaining Elm Grove's original features from the original wool and hay sheds, to the shearer's quarters.

"The trickiest part has been restoring the buildings because you are dealing with carpentry that was done 100 or so years ago," Mr Carmody said. "We are very fortunate to live on the property and we feel it's a great investment in the future to ensure it continues as it has for the past 150 years."

Mr Carmody said the historic buildings were not open for wedding functions but there was plenty of room to erect marquees.

"The appeal is that it's a country-style wedding venue close to the amenities of the city," he said. "We expect the property will host its first wedding in March 2015."